After missing almost a month with an oblique injury, Tyler Bozak returned to his rightful spot alongside Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk in a 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night. Bozak had three assists, Kessel had two goals, and van Riemsdyk had one assist as the trio showed why they work so well together.

But the game also illustrated a central flaw with the Leafs’ offence. While Kessel has 20 goals, eighth in the league through Sunday’s games, and van Riemsdyk is in the top 30 with 14 goals, Toronto has mostly been a one-line team this season.

On paper, it might not look like that. With a second line consisting of Mason Raymond (11 goals, 26 points), Nazem Kadri (11 goals, 23 points) and Joffrey Lupul (11 goals, 21 points), it looks like the Leafs are getting plenty of secondary scoring. But while those three played together on a line on Sunday night, their production this season has come when playing apart.

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“We have to get Kadri, Mason Raymond and Lupul going,” Carlyle said. “The level of their game has a lot of areas to improve on. In my mind, they’re playing to a fraction to where they really can be. They should be a line in my mind that provides a second-tier of offence and should challenge the first line.

“They have individual statistics that they are offensive players, but the situation we’re in right now the group hasn’t been able to provide that.”

What Carlyle wants is a 1A and a 1B in terms of forward lines. He wants another line to relieve the top line of its offensive duties, and he wants to be able to go on the road and not worry if Kadri’s line gets pitted against Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. “At the end they’re going to have to outperform some of the guys the Red Wings have. That’s what our expectations are.”

Kadri is ultimately the cog in all this. In the previous 10 games, where he filled in on the top line with Kessel and van Riemsdyk, the 22-year-old had just two goals and one assist and was a minus-7. During that same stretch, Raymond and Lupul scored four goals and had 13 points when playing on a line with Peter Holland, who had four goals and eight points, prompting Carlyle to suggest Kadri’s spot in the pecking order could be in jeopardy unless his production picks up.

“We were taken to task [on] why we were playing him on the third line last year and he had all these points,” said Carlyle, who praised Kadri for his improved work in the faceoff circle and in the defensive zone. “And if you look statistically, this year he’s not far off what he had the same number of games last year. But again, again, it’s a young player stepping up to the NHL and having to become an everyday player and the pressure that comes with that and having to play higher in the lineup.

“And we feel if Peter Holland continues to play, he’s going to challenge Nazzy for that spot.”

Carlyle’s criticism and threat of demotion came as a surprise to Kadri, who has not exactly been disappointed in his play so far. But he also acknowledged that his production — he had 17 goals and 39 points after 37 games last season, while playing third-line minutes — has not been where he had hoped when the season began, especially for a player trying to prove his worth as a No. 1 centre.

“It’s been a little bit harder this year. But we still have half the year to make up for it,” said Kadri. “Obviously I expect a lot more from myself. I know I can bring a lot more. But I’m not saying I haven’t produced or contributed to this team, which I think I have. But I expect a lot from myself and I’ll be looking to take it up a couple of notches.”